Egg carton and filler



New., L w38. EA J. LAW/LESS 2,3343@ EGG CARTON AND FILLER Filed April as, 1957 MWMV www@ MTW.

litt) Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EGG CARTON AND` FILLER Edward J. Lawless, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 23, 1937, Serial No. 138,510

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in packaging devices, and more particularly to an improved carton and filler for containing and supporting eggs for storage and transportation.

It has become the practice to make up packages of twelve eggs in cartons as eggs are usually purchased by the dozen, and to divide the cartons into pockets to receive the individual eggs by placing fillers forming transverse and longitudinal partitions in the cartons to form the pockets.

It is an object of this invention to provide an egg carton that may be readily stamped from a sheet or roll of heavy paper or cardboard and easily assembled to receive a pocket-forming ller. It is another object of this invention to form the tops and bottoms of the cartons with means coacting with the transverse partitions of thefiller to secure the tops and bottoms of the containers in closed position, and in addition thereto provide the tops with releasable locking means adapted to engage the transverse partitions. It is a further object Yof this invention to provide the ller with separated rows of egg-receiving pockets and provide each pocket with egg-supporting means preventing the eggs from engaging the sides or bottom of the containing carton. It is a still further object of this invention to provide the carton with means to observe the color or .character of the contained eggs wthoutopening the carton.

With these and other objects in view reference is made to the attached sheet of drawing illustrating a `preferred form of this invention, with the understanding that minor changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of this improved egg carton with the top opened and showing the eggs as received in the pockets formed by this improved ller.

Figure 2 is a View in transverse vertical section taken on the line 2 2, Figure l, showing the tops and bottoms of the carton in the engaged closed position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3 3, Figure l, with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a detail View in elevation of a longitudinal supporting strip.

Figure 5 is a detail view of a transverse partition card.

The embodiment of this invention as illustrated includes a carton particularly designed for containing and transporting eggs with a filler to `,be contained therein to support the eggs in spaced-apart relation in the carton.

The carton and filler parts are preferably stamped or otherwise cut from flexible fibrous material, such as heavy paper or cardboard. `5 While Athe carton may be of any shape desired, the one illustrated is a commercial type designed to contain two rows `of six eggs each.

In the carton illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the rectangular ends l are joined by elongated `1.0 rectangular sides 2, the longitudinal edges of which are extended to form top and bottom closures 3 and 4, each of which are formed to Vmeet along` the longitudinal center line of the carton with flaps 5 and 6 bent to extend inwardly in `L; contact with each other, as shown in Figure 2, and secured as hereinafter described.

The filler includes a plurality of transverse rectangular cards or partitions l dividing the carton into six equal sections supporting two v pairs of longitudinal rectangular egg-supporting strips i8, with each strip in each pair equally spaced apart from the other with the pairs equally spaced apart throughout their length by engagement with the partition cards 'l to form therewith twelve egg receiving and supporting pockets, as shown in Figure l. The supporting strips 8: are preferably a little more than half the heightof-the partition cards 1 and the strips 8- and partition ca-rds 'I are interconnected with V30 each other to form a filler unit independent of the .carton which may be readily assembled therewith or removed therefrom.

The strips 8 and cards 'l are interconnected so that the strips `of each longitudinal pair are Vnearer each other at the bottom than at the top, thereby providing egg-receiving pockets which taper toward the bottom to support the eggs and `prevent the` lower ends of the eggs coming in contact with the bottom of the carton. The 40 partition cards 'l are spaced apart from each other and from the ends ofthe carton at a distance usually employed .in egg cartons and the upper longitudinal edges of the strips 8 are likewise spaced apart. The filler being constructed 4 Lof flexible material with the longitudinal sides of the Apockets arranged `at an angle to the bottom of the carton forms egg-receiving pockets which engage and support :each egg above the bottom of` the carton so that jars or blows re- 50 ceived by the carton during handling or in transportation will only wedge the eggs into the pockets without injuring the eggs,

This result is obtained by providing four slits in the bottom of each partition card 1, as shown in Figure 5, through which the strips 8 pass. Each slit has a portion S perpendicular to the bottom of the card 1 and an oppositely-disposed portion I extending at approximately 15 from the perpendicular from the bottom of the card 1. The top of each slit ends in a substantially square portion II with one side forming a slightly offset extension of the perpendicular portion 9 and the body of the card between the bottom of the square portion II and the top of the angular portion I0 projecting toward the perpendicular portion 9 under the offset portion of the top portion II to form a locking lug I2. The bottom of each slit is expanded with the part I3 below the perpendicular portion 9 cut away at an angle parallel to the angular portion I0. These slits are arranged in complementary pairs with the respective square portion spaced apart from the vertical center line of the card 1 and the vertical edges thereof. Each longitudinal Vstrip 8 is provided with a plurality of equally spaced apart notches I4 along its top horizontal edge and the body below each-notch is provided with a rectangular vertical slot I5 so arranged that when the strips 8 are inserted in the slits of the cards 1, the bottoms of the notches I4 will engage the tops II of the slits and the locking lugs I2 of the cards will engage in the slots I5, as shown in Figure 5, so that the strips 8 will be interconnected with the partition cards 1 at an angle to the vertical to form pockets taper- 'ing toward the bottom.

The outer side portions of the square portions II of each pair of slits in the partition cards form vertical continuations of the angular portions Ill of the slits beyond the lugs I2, so as to cause the strips to bulge outwardly between the top and bottom edges thereof when they are forced into engagement with said angular side portions upon insertion of the eggs in the pockets. Thus, the eggs will be more firmly held in the pockets by the side Walls of the pockets embracing a portion of the sides of the eggs so that the eggs are effectively prevented from being dislodged from the pockets in the event the carton is inverted.

The locking lugs I2 of the slits are tapered so as to be freely received in the slots I5 of the strips when assembled with the partition cards. When the strips are caused to bulge outwardly by the insertion of the eggs in the pockets, thel lugs will be forced into the slots I5 and form a wedging connection between the stripsrand the partition cards to firmly hold the strips in assembled position with the partition cards.

It is preferable to provide the flaps 5 and 6 of the top and bottom portions 3 and 4 of the vcarton with equally spaced-apart slits I6 to receive the edges of the partition cards 'I when the flaps are bent inward in closing the top and bottom of the carton. It is preferable to provide a releasable locking means for the top 3 of the carton to allow the opening and closing for the .removal of eggs. In the form shown the outer edges of each slit I1 in the flaps 5 of the tops 3 of the carton is cut out to form a notch I1 and the bottom expanded into a rectangular portion I 8 forming complementary locking lugs I9 below each notch I1. Each partition card 1 Yis provided with a central circular perforation 20 with its upper edge suliioiently spaced apart for the top of the card 1 to allow the locking lugs I9 to engage therein when the carton is closed and hold the flaps 5 in releasable engagement with the cards 1.

It is also preferable to provide each side 2 of the carton with circular openings 2l opposite each pocket formed by the filler and adjacent the top of the carton through which the color of the eggs in the carton may be observed without opening the top of the carton.

It is to be understood that While this improved carton and ller when combined provide an improved container for eggs, the carton may be used with other llers, provided the transverse partition cards are perforated to be engaged by the locking lugs on the top flaps, without departing from this invention, and, likewise, the improved filler may be employed with other cartons, may be constructed to provide a greater or lesser number of egg pockets, or may be stacked one upon another in cartons or boxes of greater depth by providing horizontal partitions of any desired character between the filler units.

What I claim is:

l. A filler for egg cartons or the like, including a plurality of transverse partitions, each partition being provided with a pair of slits extending upwardly from its lower edge to approximately the longitudinal center line of the partition, the lower portion of each slit being of substantially inverted V-shape, the outer edges of each pair of slits immediately above said portions diverging upwardly and the corresponding inner edge portions of each pair of slits being substantially vertical, the slits immediately above the last-mentioned portions being shaped to form tongues which project toward one another, vand the slits :forming slots immediately above said tongues, and iiexible longitudinal strips interlocked with said partitions and having equally spaced apart notches upon their upper edges and apertures aligned with such notches and arranged immediately below the same, the tongues of the partitions extending through said apertures, and the body portions of the strips engaging the diverging edges of the partitions so as to support the strips in upwardly diverging relation, each strip being of unbroken formation between its notches and apertures so as to provide an unbroken wall immediately above the tongues of the partitions.

2. The structure of claim l, wherein an edge of each slot contiguous to and immediately above each tongue is arranged at an angle to the same edge immediately below said tongue to impart a bend extending longitudinally of each strip when wedged upon the tongues.

3. A ller as claimed in claim l, wherein the upper edge of each tongue is arranged parallel to the lower edge of the partition of which it is a part, and the lower edge of each tongue tapers downwardly toward the lower edge of the partition whereby the tongues force the portions of the strips between the notches and apertures into engagement with edges of the partitions above vthe tongues when the strips are wedged thereon.

EDWARD J. LAWLESS. 

